CHICAGO-In a move that coincides with a pending City Councildecision on a new store in the Pullman neighborhood, Walmart hassaid it wants to build “several dozen” stores in the city, andpromises to bring in about 12,000 jobs and $500 million in taxeswith those new locations. On Wednesday, the council will consider anew 150,000-square foot Walmart in a new Pullman Park mixed-usedevelopment on the former Ryerson Inc. steel plant on the Far SouthSide.

Union strength has done well to keep Walmart from taking much ofa hold in the city, with claims that the giant retailer does notpay its workers enough. However, as the city has faced the loss ofthousands of jobs, politicians are warming to companies that canpromise to bring in jobs and tax dollars.

Ald. Anthony Beale of the Ninth Ward, which includes the Pullmanneighborhood, has championed the new store. “Our city is facing anumber of challenges, but most of all, we need good jobs,” he saidin a statement.